Diving With Mantas in the Maldives

Vilu was my favourite restaurant at the Conrad Maldives. I say this having not even eaten anything other than breakfast and snacks there, but my reasons are clear enough with photos alone. It boasts picturesque views: a calm, turquoise ocean, the occasional boat sailing peacefully by and the odd heron skimming the water as it swoops in to land on the nearby white sand beach. During our stay, this was the restaurant we frequented the most, partly owing to Happy Hour drinks every evening between 5 and 6pm, served alongside freshly made canapés (the selection changed daily).

To spend the day out at sea on a dive boat, enjoying the salty ocean breeze and the tranquility of the underwater world... then to return to the resort just in time to toast to a successful day of diving with a couple of refreshing (not to mention potent) gin and tonics in a setting like this - life doesn't get much better, really it doesn't.

Now, about the diving. If you find yourself in the Maldives and you don't dive, you are truly missing out on something spectacular. I wasn't exaggerating when I said this was the best diving I've ever done, and I've been diving since the age of 12. I've been lucky enough to dive in Thailand, surrounded by leopard sharks, nurse sharks and large black and white tip reef sharks (absolutely incredible, and a close second best); in the clear waters of Malaysia with the most colourful of reefs; from the shores of Bali and around numerous wrecks and even a lake in the Philippines.

Still, none of that compares to the experience of swimming with such striking and, sadly, vulnerable creatures, watching in awe as they dance around, circle you, swim so close over your head you have to duck to avoid being whacked in the face and gracefully somersault over and over as they feed on plankton. It's almost as though the mantas are showing off, eager to stick around and let us enjoy their company. Have you ever laughed underwater? I couldn't help myself, encountering these wild animals up close like this was intoxicating (ha - if you watch the second video below, you'll hear Jarv burst out in incredulous laughter himself as he films).

Some facts: Mantas have spots on their bellies - each pattern is unique to the individual and can help to identify each manta, much as a fingerprint would be used to identify a human. Tragically, they are dangerously close to becoming an endangered species due to overfishing and unnecessary use in Eastern medicine, and although they are believed to live as long as 50 years, not too much is known about these mysterious, gentle giants. Reef mantas such as these have an average wingspan of 3.5 meters, whereas oceanic mantas can reach wingspans of up to 7 meters (!!).

I just have to share with you how majestic these fascinating mantas are in motion (that's me in the first video, just underneath):

You always look so beautiful and happy when you travel! What an incredible destination, I LOVED your Manta videos! They really are such majestic creatures. Have you watched Racing Extinction? It's a hard documentary to watch but very eye opening. T xo